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US 11,084,244 B2Granted
Systems and methods of food packaging closure
AssigneeMarmon Foodservice Technologies, Inc.
InventorsEugene S. Maslana, Sean Forrest, Brian Smetana, Richard Bauer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tamper-evident food delivery packaging systems, methods of tamper-evident packaging of food for delivery, and apparatus for tamper-evident food packaging operate to form resilient self-fastening perforations through a packaging. A binding apparatus includes an anvil and a flipper plate. A cutter head includes a profile blade and a slot blade. A pusher is pivotably connected between the profile blade and the slot blade. The cutting apparatus moves in a reciprocal motion relative to the anvil while the flipper plate engages a pusher to pivot the pusher during the reciprocal motion.
Claims20
A tamper-evident food delivery packaging system, the system comprising:
- packaging configured to receive a food order therein, the packaging comprising an open interior defined at least in part by a peripheral wall and a bottom end of the packaging, the packaging comprising an opening at an open end opposite the closed end wherein ends of the peripheral wall about the opening are movable such as to bring the ends of the peripheral wall together to close the open interior of the packaging;
- and
- a tamper-evident binding apparatus comprising:
- an anvil;
- a profile blade having a concave perimeter;
- a slot blade having a concave perimeter, the slot blade being wider across the concave perimeter of the slot blade than across the concave perimeter of the profile blade;
- a blade mount to which the profile blade and the slot blades are rigidly secured to form a cutter head, wherein the concave perimeter of the profile blade opens towards the concave perimeter of the slot blade;
- a pusher pivotably connected to the blade mount at a position intermediate the profile blade and the slot blade, and configured to pivot about a pivot point;
- and
- a flipper plate disposed intermediate the cutter head and the anvil, the flipper plate comprising an opening and a flipper bar extending across the opening;
- wherein the cutter head is movable in a reciprocal motion relative to the anvil, and in the reciprocal motion at least a portion of the cutter head extends through the opening through the flipper plate and the flipper bar engages the pusher to pivot the pusher about the pivot point;
- wherein when the packaging is positioned between the anvil and the flipper plate, the reciprocal motion of the cutter head cuts a resistant self-fastening perforation through the ends of the peripheral walls to resiliently close the opening of the packaging.
9 more elements
A temporary tamper-evident binding apparatus for closing food packaging, the apparatus comprising:
- an anvil;
- a profile blade having a concave perimeter;
- a slot blade having a concave perimeter, the slot blade being wider across the concave perimeter of the slot blade than across the concave perimeter of the profile blade;
- a blade mount to which the profile blade and the slot blades are rigidly secured to form a cutter head, wherein the concave perimeter of the profile blade opens towards the concave perimeter of the slot blade;
- a pusher pivotably connected to the blade mount at a position intermediate the profile blade and the slot blade, and configured to pivot about a pivot point;
- and
- a flipper plate disposed intermediate the cutter head and the anvil, the flipper plate comprising an opening and a flipper bar extending across the opening;
- wherein the cutter head is movable in a reciprocal motion relative to the anvil, and in the reciprocal motion at least a portion of the cutter head extends through the opening through the flipper plate and the flipper bar engages the pusher to pivot the pusher about the pivot point.
5 more elements
A method of providing food in tamper-evident packaging, the method comprising:
- providing a packaging configured to receive a food order therein, the packaging comprising an open interior defined at least in part by a peripheral wall and a bottom end of the packaging, the packaging comprising an opening at an open end opposite the closed end wherein ends of the peripheral wall about the opening are movable such as to bring the ends of the peripheral wall together to close the open interior of the packaging;
- positioning the peripheral walls of the packaging within a slot between a flipper plate and an anvil of a tamper-evident binding apparatus, wherein the tamper-evident binding apparatus further comprises:
- a profile blade having a concave perimeter;
- a slot blade having a concave perimeter, the slot blade being wider across the concave perimeter of the slot blade than across the concave perimeter of the profile blade;
- a blade mount to which the profile blade and the slot blades are rigidly secured to form a cutter head, wherein the concave perimeter of the profile blade opens towards the concave perimeter of the slot blade;
- a pusher pivotably connected to the blade mount at a position intermediate the profile blade and the slot blade, and configured to pivot about a pivot point;
- and
- wherein the flipper plate comprises an opening and a flipper bar extending across the opening and the cutter head is movable in a reciprocal motion relative to the anvil, and in the reciprocal motion at least a portion of the cutter head extends through the opening through the flipper plate and the flipper bar engages the pusher to pivot the pusher about the pivot point;
- moving the cutter head in a reciprocal motion relative to the peripheral walls;
- cutting a tongue from the peripheral walls with the profile blade;
- cutting a slot through the peripheral walls with the slot bade;
- and
- rotating the pusher about the pivot point to engage the tongue and move the tongue relative to the slot to form the resistant self-fastening perforation.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.